5 Reasons Why Lawyers and Selfies Just Don't Mix
We recently saw a post on Above the Law about a caption contest for a photo of a lawyer taking a courtroom selfie, and it got us laughing wondering. What the hell was this guy thinking? We could just see the Instagram post now "Getting ready for oral arguments #CourtRoomDrama."
You can't help feeling sorry for the guy, he's probably a newbie attorney that was excited to be in court -- he wanted to share that moment with mom and dad, or brag on Facebook. The problem is, like this poor guy, you never know when the webcams are on and you need to be aware of your surroundings.
That's why we think lawyers and selfies just don't mix and here are five reasons why.
1. Negative Backlash
With the exception of Rihanna and her infamous selfies, have you ever heard great praise for that awesome lawyer selfie? That would be NO. Remember Don West? Ten years from now, he'll be known as that lawyer that took the distasteful ice cream selfie during the George Zimmerman trial.
2. Totally Unprofessional
Really? You want to be taken seriously as an attorney and you're sitting there taking selfies? Please stop. Act like a lawyer, not a high schooler.
3. Digital Trail
If there's anything about social media and digital photos that's definite, it's that they will always come back to haunt you. Even if you delete it from the source, if others have taken a screenshot, or copied the photo and uploaded it somewhere else, you'll never be able to erase the digital trail.
4. Time Killer
If you have time to take a selfie, then please read up on some of our articles on lawyer marketing and get yourself some more clients. Your time is money -- don't waste money.
5. No One Cares
Oh yeah, um, no one cares -- besides your mom, that is. She is the only person who will probably be excited about you posting a selfie. Your career will not benefit from selfies, no matter how serious you look.
We know you have a snazzy new smartphone with a camera with a bazillion megapixels and you want to show off your photography. That's fine, you can take arty photos of law digests, or hell, even your coffee cup, just no selfies please.
Related Resources:
- Launching a Law Firm? You'll Need a Good Profile Pic (FindLaw's Strategist Blog)
- How Not To (or How To) Get a Law Job: Post Nude Selfies on Facebook (FindLaw's Greedy Associates Blog)
- Selfie: 'Word of the Year' Can Spell Legal Trouble (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)